Heroic cat basks in fame as boy recovers

If you were avoiding the Internet Wednesday, you may have missed the antics of Tara, the cat being credited with saving a young boy from a vicious dog attack.

If so, a quick recap: Four-year-old Jeremy Triantafilo was riding his bike in the driveway of his southwest Bakersfield home when a neighbor’s dog, an 8-month-old labrador/chow mix, sneaked up on him from behind an SUV, bit his leg and began violently shaking him.

Seemingly from nowhere, Tara, the now-famous hero cat, bounded to the boy’s rescue, pouncing on the dog and sending it fleeing from whence it came.

Video of the attack, captured by surveillance cameras and posted to YouTube by the boy’s father, racked up millions of views since going up Wednesday.

“She really did save him from further injury,” The boy’s father, Roger Triantafilo, told WITN News. “Who knows what could have happened in another couple seconds.”

The boy ended up with 10 stitches, and is doing fine.

But Tara’s fame is spreading beyond the realm of viral videos. TMZ reports that the magazine “Cat Fancy” has contacted the Triantafilos about getting Tara to pose for a cover photo, while the Cat Fanciers’ Association plans to present the feisty feline with its first-ever “Hero Cat Award.” Fancy indeed.

Tara can look forward to a life of luxury.

“She’s earned fish for the rest of her life,” Roger Triantafilo said. “Grilled any way she wants.”